Above photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP.
The US president warned that he no longer feels an ‘obligation to think purely of peace’ after losing the Nobel Peace Prize.
European Council President Antonio Costa announced on 18 January that EU leaders will convene an emergency summit in Brussels later this week, following US President Donald Trump’s escalation of threats over Greenland by imposing tariffs to pressure Denmark into giving up the Arctic territory.
“Given the significance of recent developments and in order to further coordinate, I have decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in the coming days,” Costa wrote in a statement.
He said all 27 EU leaders would attend the summit, which follows Trump’s announcement of a new 10 percent tariff on goods from eight NATO states that recently deployed troops to Greenland for military exercises. European officials say the move undermines international law, alliance solidarity, and existing EU–US trade agreements.
The countries in the cross-hairs of Trump’s tariff threat are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland.
Trump said the 10 percent tariffs would take effect on 1 February, and rise to 25 percent on 1 June, remaining in place until the US purchase of Greenland is approved.
Costa said consultations among EU leaders reaffirmed a “strong commitment” to international law, NATO-based Arctic security, and solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.
He warned that tariffs “would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement,” while stressing the bloc’s readiness “to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.”
Trump first floated acquiring the island during his earlier presidency, a proposal repeatedly rejected by Danish and Greenlandic officials.
In a direct letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Trump said, “Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”
JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇳🇴 President Trump tells Norway’s Prime Minister he no longer feels an “obligation to think purely of peace” after not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, says he will prioritize American interests. pic.twitter.com/9IZWeoasMQ
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) January 19, 2026
He added that “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China” and ridiculed their historical claim on the semi-autonomous territory.
A French official told ABC News that France’s President Emmanuel Macron would seek to activate what was described as the EU’s “most potent trade weapon,” the “anti-coercion instrument,” if new US tariffs are imposed.
The mechanism would allow sweeping retaliation, including limits on US investment, access to procurement, intellectual property protections, and potentially retaliatory tariffs on up to €93 billion ($108 billion) worth of US goods if the threats are carried out.
BREAKING: France’s President Macron calls for the EU to activate its “most potent trade weapon” against the US after President Trump’s tariff threat over Greenland.
Macron is now calling for the use of the EU’s “anti-coercion instrument.”
If used against the US, it would… pic.twitter.com/E47Bpe03lK
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) January 18, 2026
Trump has justified the pressure campaign by claiming US control of Greenland is necessary for security against China and Russia, asserting again that “only the US can ensure the security of Greenland.”
Despite a 1951 defense agreement granting US military access and Denmark’s $6.5-billion Arctic defense package, Trump has said he could consider taking Greenland by force if acquisition efforts fail.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the tariff threats as “completely wrong,” warning they are “not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance” and insisting Greenland’s future should be decided by Greenlanders and Danes.
